Wike’s ex Commissioner says the Rivers Gov has 'killed innocent citizens and terrorized women'

Wike’s ex Commissioner says the Rivers Gov has 'killed innocent citizens and terrorized women'

Dr. Tam-George who served Nyesom Wike as Information Commissioner says his former boss has blood on his hands.
   
   
   
       
       
           
               
                   

Dr. Tam-George who served Nyesom Wike as Information Commissioner says his former boss has blood on his hands.

               
           
               
                   

Dr Austin Tam-George who served Governor Nyesom Wike as Commissioner for Information in his first term, says his former boss has always been a dictator.

               
           
               
                   

Wike has come in for intense criticism after he supervised the demolition of hotels deemed to have contravened the COVID-19 lockdown directives imposed in the state.

               
           
               
                   

Social media users and civil society organisations have described the move as an excessive show of force from a “power drunk governor” and Tam-George says his former boss has always been unhinged.

               
           
               
                   

In a statement sent to Pulse, Tam-George said “Yesterday afternoon, two hotels in the Eleme community of Rivers State were demolished by a team led by the Governor of the State, Mr Nyesom Wike.

               
           
               
                   

“According to a statement by the State Government, the hotels had violated an Executive Order, banning the operation of hotels in the State until further notice.

               
           
               
                   

“No formal charges were brought against the affected hotels before a court of law, by the Rivers State Government. The owners of the hotels had no opportunity to defend themselves before a Judge. And the so-called Executive Order itself is spurious, draconian and ill-defined.

               
           
               
                   

“But the illegal demolition of the hotels yesterday fits into a long and sickening pattern of lawlessness and impunity by Governor Wike in Rivers State.”

               
           
               
                   

Tam-George would go on to call on the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the United States to step in and save the people of the state from Wike.

               
           
               
                   

“In July 2017, Governor Wike had shut down and revoked the Certificate of Occupancy of Novotel Hotel in Port Harcourt, simply because critics of his lawless regime had lodged overnight at the hotel.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Governor Nyesom Wike

               

               
           
               
                   

“In the past three years, Mr Wike has deployed his private army of thugs, disguised as State "task forces", to kill innocent citizens, loot markets and shops, terrorize young women in Port Harcourt, and extort money from drivers and traders in Rivers State.

               
           
               
                   

“Three weeks ago, on the 24th April, Sergeant Lovender Elekwachi, a traffic warden on duty in the Eneka area of the State, was murdered in cold blood, by Governor Wike's marauding task force. The tragic incident was widely reported by the media, including the BBC.

               
           
               
                   

“The COVID-19 pandemic has only served as a perfect smokescreen for Governor Wike to escalate his reign of criminality and terror in Rivers State.

               
           
               
                   

“On the 27th of April, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet warned governments to refrain from violating fundamental human rights, "under the guise of exceptional and emergency measures" during the COVID-19 crisis.

               
           
               
                   

“But in the past six weeks of the pandemic, Governor Wike has caused the death of a law enforcement agent, confiscated private properties, demolished hotels, brutalized market women in Port Harcourt, and held pilots and oil workers on essential duties in illegal detention.

               
           
               
                   

“The alarming acts of lawlessness by Mr Wike mean that Rivers State has descended into a state of anarchy. State institutions have been hijacked by a lawless government, and the people themselves have been 'kidnapped' by a moral hoodlum in power.

               
           
               
                   

“Governor Wike is an extremely powerful politician in Nigeria, who is widely deemed to be above the law.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Governor Nyesom Wike of Port Harcourt [Twitter/@GovWike]

               

               
           
               
                   

“We therefore call on the UN Human Rights Commission to urgently investigate and initiate criminal proceedings against Mr Nyesom Wike in Rivers State.

               
           
               
                   

“We strongly appeal to the United States Congress and the State Department to urgently initiate and maintain consequential pressure, including visa restrictions and asset freezes against Mr Wike, for his reign of impunity in Rivers State.

               
           
               
                   

“Governor Wike is well-known for his expensive vacation junkets to European cities, even as children die from preventable water-borne diseases in Rivers State.

               
           
               
                   

“We therefore strongly appeal to the European Union to initiate and maintain consequential diplomatic actions, including money laundering investigations, visa restrictions and asset freezes against Governor Wike, who constantly proclaims that "nothing will happen" to him, despite his reign of terror.

               
           
               
                   

                                   

Former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr Austin Tam-George

               

               
           
               
                   

“We believe that those who hold public office should never be above the law.”

               
           
               
                   

A spokesperson for the Rivers governor was not immediately available for comments.

               
           
               
                   

Wike has just announced a partial relaxation of the lockdown measures “to enable residents to have some fresh air and replenish their foodstuff and medicines.”

               
           
               
                   

                 

twitter.com

               

               
           
               
                   

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 21 cases of COVID-19 in Rivers, as of May 10, 2020.

Source: Wike’s ex Commissioner says the Rivers Gov has 'killed innocent citizens and terrorized women'

- gist culled from pulseng